Friction draft-gear for railway-cars.



PATENTED MAR.'15, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P. N. MooRR. RRICTION DRAFT GRAR PoR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1903.

No MODEL.

No. 754,932. PATENTED MAR. 15, 1904. P; N. MOORE.

FRIGTION DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY GARS.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. 5. 190s.

No MODEL. l 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/l/l Y YVE 5.51115.' INVENTOR.

UNITED STATES Patented Marh i5, 1904.

PATENT OEEICE.

PETER N. MOORE, OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR To ,IOIIN J.IIENNESSEY, OE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AND WILLIAM H. MINER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FRICTION DRAFT-GEAR Fon RAILWAY-omas.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 754,932, dated Marchr15, 1904-.. Appncaaon ned Nwe'mbera, 190s. seriaINo. 179,898. (Nomade.)

To cir/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be itknown that I, PETER N. MOORE, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing in Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ofWisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FrictionDraft-Gear for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a Specification.

My invention relates to improvements in friction draft rigging or gearfor railway-cars.

My invention consists in the novel construction of parts and devices andin the novel combnations of parts and devices herein shown or described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a central vertical Section of a friction draft-rigging ordraft-gear embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section. Fig.3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 of Fig. Q. Fig. l is a crosssection online L 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of thesliding friction-blocks. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail end and side views,respectively, of one of the wedge-blocks; and Figs. 8 and 9 are detailside and end views, respectively,of the other wedge-block.

The friction draft-rigging embodying my invention comprises incooperative combination a pair of -side plates or stop-castings Securedto the draft-timbers or center sills of a car, a draw-bar, a draw-barextension, preferably in the form of a strap or yoke, a longitudinalspring and a pair of followers, a sliding friction shell or case havingan interior friction-surface, slightly tapering and termi nating instraight portion, sliding frictionblocks inside the sliding frictionshell or case and having exterior friction-surfaces in slidingfrictional engagement with and corresponding to the slightly-taperinginterior friction-surface of the case or shell, a light spring or bandsurrounding said sliding friction-blocks and fitting in a groove intheir outer periphery, said friction-blocks having wedging or inclinedfaces at the ends thereof, and an operating wedge-block at each end ofsaid sliding friction-blocks for causing the sliding friction blocks tofrictionally grip and press against the exterior sliding' frictionshell.As the interior surface of the sliding friction-shell is in partstraight and in part slightly tapering, the back-and-forth movement orplay of the sliding friction-blocks will cause the interiorfriction-surface of the shell to continually wear in the same shape, andthus prevent the back-and-forth movement or play of the slidingfriction-blocks when the train is under motion from wearing or forming aShoulder on the interior surface of the friction-shell at or near theinner end of the sliding friction-blocks.

In the drawings, A represents the drafttimbers, A the center sills, andA2 the front or cross sill, of a car, these parts being represented ofan ordinary Wood-frame construction.

O is the coupler, B the draw-bar, and B/ the draw-bar extension, thesame being represented as in the form of a strap or yoke secured to thedraw-bar by bolts D D are the side plates or stop-castings, the Samehaving front and rear stops CZ for the followers E E to abut against,and upper and lower guides CZ and 052 for the followers to reciprocatein or between, the upper guide d being preferably integral with the Sideplates or stop-castings D, and the lower guide Z2 being preferably inthe form of aremovable plate secured in place by bolts Z3 to permit theready insertion and removal of the movable parts of the draft-rigging.

F is a longitudinally arranged spring direetly behind the draw-bar andin the line of draft, there being also preferably a small Spring fnesting within it. y

Gr is the sliding friction Shell or case, the same being preferablycylindrical in form and having in part a slightly-tapering interiorfriction-surface g and in part a straight surface g3. feet orprojections g to rest and slide upon the lower guide Z2 of the slideplates or stopcastings D.

H H are cooperating sliding friction-blocks, having each an exteriorslightly-tapering fric- Thefriction-shell G is provided withtion-surface t in sliding frictional engagement with the interiorfriction-surface g of the sliding friction case or shell G. Each of thesliding friction-blocks H is provided at each end with a wedging orinclined face K, engaging 4the corresponding inclined or wedging facesvof the wedges K K2. The sliding friction-blocks H are preferably four innumber and quadrant-shaped in cross-section. rlhe slidingfriction-blocks H are furnished with a circumferential groove /t toreceive a light spring or band N, which serves to hold the slidingfriction-blocks in assembled position or registry with each other.

@ne end of the spring F bears against the front follower E through theinterposed operatingwedges K2 and K and sliding friction-blocks H andthe other end of the spring bears against the rear follower E through aninterposed seatblock M, which projects through the end of the slidingfriction shell or case G and is provided with a shoulder mi, engaging aninterior shoulder g2 on the shell or case G.

The operation is as follows: Under pulling strains the front follower isheld stationary by the front stops d on the stop-castings D, and thesliding friction-blocks H are also held from longitudinal movement withthe drawbar through the interposed operating-wedge K', which abutsagainst the front follower, while the rear follower moves with thedrawbar, the pulling strain being first primarily cushioned by thedirect action of the spring F until it is compressed `sufficiently forthe rear follower E to abuty against the sliding friction shell or caseG, when the further forward or pulling movement of the draw-bar causesthe friction shell or case G to slide relatively to the friction-blocksH, which are now held from longitudinal movement by the front follower,the frictional resistance being' continuously increased as the spring isfurther and further comprcssed,and thus increases the frictional grip orpressure between the friction shell G and the friction blocks H, as theshell surrounding and inclosing the friction-blocks H confines the samefrom lateral or radial movement, while they are at the same time heldfrom longitudinal movement by the front follower.l In buffing theoperation is the same,but thereverse, the rear follower E being inbufling held stationary by the rear stops (Z and the front followermoving with the draw-bar and carrying with it the slidingfriction-blocks H and frictionshell G until the rear end of thefriction-shell G abuts against the rear follower, and is thus held inturn against further longitudinal movement, while the slidingfriction-blocks H frictionally grip and frictionally slide against thefriction-shell G. 'lhe friction-shell G being of cylindrical form isvery strong to resist the radial or outward pressure of thefrictionblocks H, which it holds and confines from lateral or radialmovement. Owing to the interior surface of the sliding friction-shell Gbeing part straight and in part formed on a slight taper, the wear ofthe sliding friction-blocks H thereon operates to keep the interiorfriction-surface of the shell smooth and prevents the formation of ashoulder at or near the inner end of the sliding friction-blocks H.

Each of the operating-wedges K' K2 has a plurality of wedging faces orinclines, one for each sliding friction-block H, and the wedging facesor inclines on the wedge-block K2 are preferably steeper or at a greaterangle than those on the wedge-block K to cause the release or return orexpanding movement of the spring to be more free and certain. Thisincreased angle of the operating-faces of the wedge K2 also causes asomewhat greater frictional grip or pressure to be exerted at the outerends of the sliding friction-blocks H than at their inner ends, and thusto prevent the sliding friction-blocks H from wearing' or producing ashoulder or unevenness on ,the friction-shell G at or near the innerends of the blocks H under the ordinary back-andforth movement or playof the friction-blocks H when the train is in motion.

In my friction draft-rigging the frictionblocks H are held from lateral,transverse, outward, or radial movement by the surrounding frictionshell or case G, and the frictional resistance and wear is exerted byand confined to the parallel sliding frictional surfaces g and /t of thefriction-shell and friction-block, respectively, and as these frictionalsurfaces are inside the inclosing case or shell G the same are protectedfrom grit, dirt, and sand and from the variation and uncertainty ofaction incident to the presence or absence of such interfering grit, andas in my invention all the friction devices and inclines, wedges, orparts for operating-or exerting pressure upon the frictional devices areself-contained and mounted in the sliding friction shell or case and arenot secured or attached to the stationary frame of the car orstop-castings the friction devices i and their operating wedges or partsalways automatically maintain themselves in proper cooperative relationor adjustment with each other and there is no possibility of these partsi being either improperly mounted on or secured to the car-frame orgetting out of proper operative relation or adjustment by any giving oryielding of any portion of the framework of the car under severe strainsor blows, as is the case where one or more of the friction devices arestationarily secured on the car-frame or stop-castings.

Owing to the slight taper of the frictionsurfaces g t of the shell G andblock H, as the blocks H move inward in respect to the shell the wedgesK' K2 will move slightly outward in respect to the blocks H tocompensate for the slight taper of the friction-surfaces g and 7L; butthis outward movement of IIO varese the wedges K K? in respect to theblocks H will be infinitesimal, so to speak, because the incline of theWedges is steep, substantially forty-five degrees, while that of thefrictional surfaces g 7L is very slight.

I claim Y l. In a friction draft-rigging, the combination with sideplates or stop-castings, of a draw-bar, a longitudinally-arranged springand followers, of a sliding friction-shell having an interiorfriction-surface, sliding friction blocks inside said shell and confinedthereby from lateral or transverse movement and having each awedging orinclined face at each end thereof, and a pair of operatingwedges, one ateach end of said sliding friction-blocks, said friction-blocks beingprovided with a peripheral groove and a spring or band surrounding thesame and tting in said groove', substantially as specified.

2. In a friction draft-rigging, the combination with side plates orstop-Castings, of a draw-bar, a longitudinally-arranged spring andfollowers, of a sliding friction-shell having a slightly-taperinginterior friction-surface terminating in a straight portion, slidingfriction-blocks inside said shell and confined thereby from lateral ortransverse movement and having each a wedging or inclined face at eachend thereof, and a pair of operatin g-wedges, one at each end of saidsliding friction-blocks, whereby the friction surface of the shell iscaused to continually wear smooth, substantially as specified.

8. In a friction draft-gear, the combination with stationary stop-platesor stop-castings, of a draw-bar and draw-bar extension, alongitudinally-arranged spring and followers, a sliding friction shellor case having a slightlytapering interior friction-surface terminatingin a straight portion, sliding friction-blocks inside said case or shelland confined thereby from lateral or transverse movement, and havingeach a slightly-tapering exterior frictionsurface in sliding frictionalengagement with the interior friction-surface of the case or shell, andwedges or inclines for causing said H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADoooK.

